Aggression | ADHD Information
My son was aggressive before meds. He is 10 and ADHD. He hit kids on a few occasions in Grade 1. He tried to hit and kick me a few times back then too.My daughter hasnt been officially diagnosed but she is so like me and has many ADHD traits. She becomes very aggressive when frustrated and she will kick her toys, throws the blocks if the tower falls over etc.
I talk to her quietly like CMRsmom said. Ive actually taught her some breathing techniques which she does on her own now.
What I have noticed is that she always clenches her teeth, even if she's sitting patting the dog gently, the way she clenches her teeth anyone else would think she was going to try and wring her neck!! She loves animals and has never hurt them other than cuddling them too hard
Our dd did a pretty good 'Mike Tyson' impersonation for quite a while.We still get nervous sometimes when she approaches while frusterated. Funny thing was, she would even bite to show happy, excited. And the really hard hugs! Hugs with teeth grinding! Oh, how I love her!Deb, I'm not a doctor and can't diagnose, and some on this board don't even want me to bring up bipolar disorder. But severe ADHD with aggressive tendancies can actually be another disorder altogether. The raging you describe is more characteristic of bipolar disorder than pure ADHD, and believe me, it can get worse around puberty. I know because I have a nearly 13-year-old son with a working diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Stimulants (like Concerta) and antidepressants (like Strattera) can actually make kids with bipolar disorder much, much worse. In fact, a major side effect of Strattera is mood swings -- the raging could be a result of mood instability. I encourage you to have your daughter re-evaluated by a board-certified child psychiatrist who can rule in or out bipolar disorder. The right meds can make all the difference in the world.
Wow! After reading ya'll's post I was trembling. Not because of the agression in our kids but because I have been there too. I remember when my son was on Ritalin; he would come off of the meds real hard and he would hit me or throw books at me. He has not done that in a while though. At one time he was on Remeron and I have to say that I really liked that medicine. Has anyone here ever recieved a second opinon like a follow up a couple or three years later for their children?
Tammy
Tammy, my nearly 13-year-old son was evaluated by a neuropsychologist 3 years ago. He was diagnosed then with ADHD and anxiety. At age 10, he was diagnosed with migraines by a neurologist, and at age 11 he was diagnosed with tic disorder by a psychiatrist. My son is now undergoing a new evaluation and treatment by a different psychiatrist for bipolar disorder following a manic reaction to an SSRI prescribed for his anxiety. I do think diagnoses can be somewhat fluid as kids grow and change so you do need to be aware of changes in your child's behavior.
My son can be violonent and aggressive too. No one is allowed to win anything other than him and that is why I have not put him in organized sports. he would hit bite and kick just cause and be angry for no reason when he was younger and still will do that sometimes. He bloodied a doctor's nose and almost broke my sister inlaws and at the time thought that it was funny. He thought that hurting people was hilarious. I just don't know what to say to help you. In my son it appears to be normal but they have suspected that he is bipolar before but haven't reached a diagnosis on that side. They do say that he ADHD definitely though.Sorry meant Psychiatrist. She started out seeing Pediatrician, then went through Psychologist. Last 4+ years going to Psychiatrist specializing in children & young adults.my son is very aggressive... in my eyes he is violent but his doctor doesn't want us to use that word anymore..but he will throw anything he can get his hands on, punches and kick who ever is in his way during a rage... violent aggression isn't ADHD...
My daughter has been seeing a Board Certified Psychologist for about 4+ years. As with a lot of these kids, she shows signs of several different things. I don't think you can always put a specific name to everything they're going through. I mean you can test them up the "wazoo" and it all comes down to trying to find the right meds, and having the families & schools work together, to addresses their different symptoms. The "Rages" are not a regular occurance with her. She went years without any major episodes. It seems to occur when she's grown alot & needs meds updated, or lately more so with the onset of puberty & attending Jr. High where the expectations are a lot higher. In addition to meds, her teachers & I have been working with her on accepting responsibility for her choices & actions. We're not giving in to her demands, and are telling her what the consequences are for continued bad behavior. It's then her choice whether to "get it together", or pay the piper with after school or Saturday study hall, no friends over the weekend etc. Sometimes she gets it together, sometimes not. Her knowing that her teacher & I are in this together has really helped. She doesn't try to play us against each other anymore =)
Deb, do you mean psychologist or psychiatrist? When so much is going on, I always recommend psychiatrist, who has the medical degree and more training in these sorts of cases.
[QUOTE=CMRsmom]I just want to say I'm glad To be a part of the adhdnews, because without you guys I think I would fall over backwards and not want to get up because what sheri m said about the doc not seeing the kicking and the hitting during the rages it's true they only see them for about 30 to 35 minutes and my son during that time is a little angel even at school....he's like that...would it be a crime if I didn't give my son his medicine before the doctors appointment my husband doesn't even see them, my other two children and my nieghbors have seen it his bus driver's seen it his preschool last year saw it so with all of that how come they still say oh it's adhd not bipolor he's to young. They said that he was to young for adhd at 3 the doctor that I saw when he dislocated my jaw said he needs to see a psychriotrist I said he's to young he's only 3, I didn't even know about bipolor I knew a little about adhd but I guess I should of listened to the doctor that was bad on my part .
with a lot of research and your guys help I'm going to find the help my son needs in my home town. Thank you and I will continue to be here to help anyway I can but I am not an expert on this though.[/QUOTE] my son is only 4 yrs old and he is bipolar...many doctors don't want to put label on a child that young..Lisa, I hope all goes well with your son. At least by hearing about other parents having the same issues with their kids, we don't feel so alone, or a failure as a parent. I'm very thankful I found this website. It's very insightful, and gives all of us an outlet when frustrated =)I just want to say I'm glad To be a part of the adhdnews, because without you guys I think I would fall over backwards and not want to get up because what sheri m said about the doc not seeing the kicking and the hitting during the rages it's true they only see them for about 30 to 35 minutes and my son during that time is a little angel even at school....he's like that...would it be a crime if I didn't give my son his medicine before the doctors appointment my husband doesn't even see them, my other two children and my nieghbors have seen it his bus driver's seen it his preschool last year saw it so with all of that how come they still say oh it's adhd not bipolor he's to young. They said that he was to young for adhd at 3 the doctor that I saw when he dislocated my jaw said he needs to see a psychriotrist I said he's to young he's only 3, I didn't even know about bipolor I knew a little about adhd but I guess I should of listened to the doctor that was bad on my part . with a lot of research and your guys help I'm going to find the help my son needs in my home town. Thank you and I will continue to be here to help anyway I can but I am not an expert on this though.The type of physical aggression that hurts others needs to be further looked into. ADHD does not cause that sort of aggression. It would be smart to take the child to a Psychiatrist for further evaluation. Early Onset Bipolar, a big ADHD mimicker, causes that sort of aggression. So can High Functioning AUtism, if the child has social problems or obessions or speech delays, and, in that case, I'd see a NeuroPsych. It isn't typical of ADHD to hit and punch out of impulsivness. This behavior is beyond ADHD. Here are a few links for you. I don't believe you will see "hurting others" in any description of ADHD. It's best to help your child by getting a re-evaluation. I'd say hub may have a few issues too that go beyond ADHD. At any rate, hitting a child with a disorder is never helpful. It makes aggressive kids even more aggressive. I'm a Been-Thru-The-Mill Mom who also had one child diagnosed with ADHD, but it was so much more than that. From my experience, Psycologists (except for NeuroPsychs), therapists, schools, and Pediatricians don't really know how to diagnose nor do they take the hours necessary to admister tests that can point to various disorders. Often they make quick, snap diagnoses without really digging. ADHD is usually the first thing they pick out and then they instantly medicate ADHD without checking for other things. That can be dangerous. Stims help ADHD, but make other disorders worse in the long run. Good luck.
OlderMom38776.3824652778
[QUOTE=karaoke deb]She's has severe ADHD with agressive tendancies.[/QUOTE]
I have never heard of ADHD having these tendencies... is this common? Is this truly a part of the dx, or just how you describe her? I am very curious because ds was just dx with ADHD, but dx with ODD about 3 years ago. But, he never has shown ODD symptoms at school... NEVER.
omg---reading this thread & am beginning to think maybe my youngest is bipolar........let me stop reading now...13 y/o daughter was kicked out of pre-school at 3 1/2 for "throwing a chair" at the teacher. At 8 y/o she was kicked out of reg. ed. school for having a "fit", and it took 3 adults to hold her down! After that I researched, and thank the lord, found out about a Special Ed. School in our district. She was put in a class with only 8 kids, 2 teachers & 1 aid. MAN what a difference. Between having meds updated & fewer distractions in class she did much better. She had to "earn" her way out of "New Campus", and was then put in "out classes". These classes are in the "regular" school, but are staffed with specialist in behavioral problems. It was like night & day at home as well as in school. This year she started Jr. High...it's not going as well. Has anyone else had problems with "RAGING" occuring again once they hit puberty? Deb, what is your daughter's diagnosis? What meds is she on?She's has severe ADHD with agressive tendancies. She's been on the same meds (except adding Abilify 1 year ago when RAGING started up again) for 4 years with only minor changes to dosages. She takes Strattera, Concerta & "small" dose of Abilify in AM. At night she takes "very small" dose of Remeron & Abilify again. The Remeron has been WONDERFUL. She sleeps better & gained weight. Before she was always so short & skinny! About 4 years ago we started her on Remeron & she is now 5'2'' & a very healthy 96lbs. Perfect for 13 =) Now all we have to do is concentrate on correcting the raging behavior. I'm very blessed with her school & teachers! They are truly amazing & I couldn't manage without them! I think a lot of her recent outbursts may be due to her going to Jr. High & for the 1st time realizing she's a little different than the other girls emotionally. I hated Jr. High & all the "clicks" etc. you have to deal with. I can't imagine how hard it is for kids with "issues" =(my daugter is like that, too....I think it can definitely be part of the ADHD picture. Lack of impulse control is a big feature. Also I know my son gets really frustrated by trying to control his impulses all day and meet all the expectations of others, and then he can just explode because it has become too much. As he's gotten older, it has become breaking down into tears more often than striking out, and as we've gotten medication issues sorted out, it has all but disappeared.I think if you're moving too fast, not processing things step-by-step, and given to impulse, it's easy to see how aggression could become part of ADHD.
Is it better when he uses medication?
How many parents deal with aggressive kids? I'm just wondering because I've seen people say that violent outbursts isn't part of ADHD. My son wasn't violently aggressive, but when he was little and outside with my daughter, I would hear him getting angry, and because I couldn't get to my daughter in time, I'd yell for her to run. Othewise he'd hit her, and hurt her. This was prior to medication. He was quick to anger and quick to hit because of his impulsiveness. By the way my daughter is an excellent runner to this day. I also had to dodge flying fists when I was putting his shoes. I've seen and heard of ADHD children being put on medication for their aggressiveness. I still worry a little sometimes when he gets angry with my daughter, and isn't on his medication. He's never caused bruises or anything, but the aggression is really impulsive and happens quickly in anger. Just wondering if this happens to other families. He's also tried to hit me on a few occasions. That didn't go over well, and he hasn't tried it ever again. My son, Cody is the same way. He is agressive. He always has been since the day he was born. I don't mean agressive in hitting or hitting out of anger; what I mean is, he is agressive in everything he does. He doesn't realize how agressive his actions are until I say something to him and then he will look at me as if I am weird b/c to him it is normal.
Tammy
I don't know if it's an ADHD thing or not. My son is bipolar--so he has always been aggressive. When he gets in that mood---and raging--he will destroy whatever is in his path. If it's a person---he will kill them. It's common for him to chase someone around who made him mad with a shovel or stick. Or when he's mad in the car--he gets out of his seat belt and hits his sister with his fists on the head---just because she's singing or talking. When no one is around and he's mad at me and I leave him in time out---he will hit the walls or throw toys. Last summer he was mad because we told him not to turn the water hose on and after a million of times--he got a time out. He picked up a metal picnic table and attempted to throw it( he was 5y). This table is very heavy--i could hardly move it.
He gets supernatural strength--which doesn't help matters.
It's pretty much a daily thing for him to attack his little sister and I can't get to her in time. Broken glasses, hair pulled out, scratches, blood. Poor thing!! He is too fast for me and my 4yo is too slow. But she's learning.
My five year old son has been doing this since he was 2 now my 3 year old son is starting what my five year old son was doing.what to do with an aggressive child, you need to remove the child away from the situration and (talk to them very calmly about unstead of hitting what do think would be a better way to of dealt with that?) after he calms down of course.My son does Hit and kick when the meds wear off. I have a bruise on my right leg because of it and a dislocated jaw that has not recovered from when he was 3 on his birthday at that.
Wow, he never got me that bad. No bruises, I think alot of his aggression was done because he thought it was funny, rather than for any intent to hurt. Even when he was mad, he tried to hit me, but not really hard. I said I'd sit on him, right there in the parking lot if he tried it again. He knows I don't make idle threats. Luckily he's kind hearted and controls that part of his impulsiveness much better now.